Sobriety Checkpoint

Drunk Driving & DWI
conviction

Sobriety Checkpoints Are Legal But Must Adhere To Three Rules
To Hold Up In Court Of Law

So many folks have been killed or seriously hurt by drunk
drivers,
which is why it’s not surprising that police have stepped up their DUI
enforcement and established sobriety checkpoints. Sobriety checkpoints
are set up to catch intoxicated drivers on the road. When they’re
caught at these sobriety checkpoints, police get them off the road
before a serious accident takes the life of an innocent victim or the
driver him/herself.

Each year, approximately 23,000 people die
and scores of others are injured because of an accident a drunk driver
caused. And, it’s because of the extraordinarily high numbers that
state governments have mandated sobriety checkpoints to keep the roads
safe for all persons, young and old.

Sobriety
Checkpoints: When Are They Set Up

Holidays
are generally the time that police will do sobriety checkpoints. After
all, more folks will be on the road, which a good deal many of them
being drunk. It’s not unheard of for sobriety checkpoints to be held in
the overnight hours on the weekends… around the time bars
close.
During the DUI check, a DUI
breathalyzer test will be
administered to the suspect.

Yes,
sobriety checkpoints are an inconvenience to drivers, both sober and
drunks. Yet, they save lives, as they decrease the number of drunk
drivers on the road. This leads to a decrease in auto fatalities.

Sobriety Checkpoints Are
Legal But Need To Adhere To Three Rules

Several
constitutional challenges have been made about sobriety checkpoints
regarding unreasonable searches. According to the United States Supreme
Court, sobriety checkpoints are legal but only if they follow three
rules.

1 – Public Must Know About The Checkpoint Before It’s Set Up

Before
checkpoints are set up, the public must know where they’ll be located
and when. This information is generally printed in the paper, played on
the television or released on the Internet so every person will know
where and when one will be held.

2 – Random Driver Checks

Officers
at DUI checkpoints cannot check all vehicles that pass through. Rather,
they need a neutral formula to choose the vehicles they plan on
stopping for the sobriety check. They need to check every three or four
vehicles and stick with that. Failing to do so can result in a DUI case
being tossed out of court.

You
are legally able to turn your vehicle around or change course if you
come upon a sobriety checkpoint. However, a motorcycle unit can follow
and pull you over for avoiding the checkpoint. Thus, it would be best
to not drink and drive.

What Are The Police
Checking On At Sobriety Checkpoints

The
standards of a sobriety checkpoint are going to be like other places
where you are stopped. If your blood alcohol content is .08 percent or
higher, you’ll be placed under arrest and charged with DUI. Anybody
under 21 years old who has a BAC of .01 percent will also be under
arrest. Open containers inside the vehicle will also result in an
arrest.

Many times people drink to have a good time. If this is
you, you’ll need to make some arrangements if you plan on drinking out
in public. Be sure to get someone to be your designated driver or call
yourself a taxi. You certainly don’t want to end up in jail or the
hospital or cause a deadly accident.